Previous studies found that the gut microbiome may be important in protecting against severe influenza infections, so in this study, researchers aimed to identify just what gut microbes might provide that protection.

It is not only having a diet rich in flavonoids, our results show you also need the right microbes in the intestine to use those flavonoids to control the immune response, researchers said.

"We were able to identify at least one type of bacteria that uses these dietary compounds to boost interferon, a signalling molecule that aids the immune response," said Thaddeus Stappenbeck, from University of Washington.

"This prevented influenza-related lung damage in the mice. It is this kind of damage that often causes significant complications such as pneumonia in people," Stappenbeck added.

The study was published in the journal Science.

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